We will spend the day making small prints from Gel plates without a press using GOLDEN OPEN acrylics. Try these amazingly easy techniques to create fast, gorgeous results in acrylics that you can then easily do at home. You can create abstract paintings or representational. These monotypes work especially well to make atmospheric landscapes. The smaller format makes for excellent art gifts! Bring a brown bag lunch and we will discuss everyone’s art during that time. Register with Rachael McCampbell.

This class one-day workshop teaches you how to make small, gorgeous landscape paintings in acrylics using GOLDEN OPEN acrylics on soft gel plates. All levels are welcome but some painting experience is preferred. Students will need to bring paints, papers and some supplies. The smaller format makes for excellent art gifts! Bring a brown bag lunch and we will discuss everyone’s art during lunch time. For more information and to register go to Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary.

I’m excited to announce that Artistic Adventures Abroadis offering a unique opportunity to attend a workshop in the beautiful Tuscan hillside town of Cortona, Italy. This retreat will be a week dedicated to creating art, journal writing, personal reflection and, of course, outstanding food and wine! By spending a full 7 nights in one city, you will get to know Cortona personally.

Cortona is where “Under the Tuscan Sun,” was set and where the author, Frances Mayes still lives. The author described it best when she said, “I think I went to Italy initially for the art, architecture, food and history, but I stayed there because of the people in Cortona.” It is a special place I discovered when I spent a summer there at a University Studies Abroad program and it’s brand new each time I go back. It’s a wonderful opportunity to stay there for a week and really get to know this very special village and its inhabitants.

We are staying at a beautiful property mere steps away from Cortona with breathtaking views of the Valdichiana valley below. This is a double occupancy trip for women only (each king bed can be made into two twins). Some of the bathrooms are ensuite, and others are shared. So think about who you would like to partner up with for this incredible experience and make plans to join us next June 8-15, 2019! There are only 10 spaces!

Before or after our week in Cortona, I recommend that you take the opportunity to travel in Tuscany as there are so many incredible villages and ancient towns nearby.

For $600 you can hold your spot for this amazing trip and experience. Please contact me directly. For more images of the property read on:

Atmospheric Landscape Painting: Have some fun this summer in Nashville and paint! Come join me for a four week course meeting Wednesday mornings at Plaza Art in downtown Nashville. We will explore landscapes in both acrylic and oil. Any level is welcome but some painting experience is preferred. Address: Plaza Art, 633 Middleton Street, Nashville, TN 37203. Cost is: $280

Come Join me for my upcoming Spring Series of Art Classes at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary in Brentwood, TN. We meet on Monday mornings, 9 – noon, for six weeks. April 2 – May 7th. We will work on new painting techniques in both acrylic and oils.

We will focus on the landscape but you can paint other things as well. Cost: $325 per person. I hope to see you there!

Join several middle Tennessee oil painters for the exhibit, “Oiled Fantastic,” who are showing work at the Pryor Art Gallery in Columbia, TN March 23 – April 22, 2018. The opening reception is March 29th, 5 – 8 pm. I hope to see you there!

This is an a magical trip to the gorgeous Cotswolds in England July 23 – August 3, 2018. I hope you can join us for 10 glorious nights in the Queen Anne Manor home not far from Chipping Campden. We will paint, draw, write, travel, dine, laugh and have a great time. We will tour gardens and learn about the Arts & Crafts movement which originated there in the Cotswolds. Landscape Architect, Curtis Stewart, will teach us about English Garden Design and Rachael McCampbell will talk on the Arts and Crafts Movement, taking the group to see examples of the work. We will do journal painting, see Highclere castle, many of the ancient Cotswolds villages, Blenheim Palace, Roman ruins, have high tea, dine in pubs, hike the English countryside and more. I hope you can join us!

I hope you can join me for an amazing day at The Cheekwood Botanical Gardens and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee for the Proven Winners Landscape Roadshow. This is a day of expert speakers in their field of landscape design and horticulture. I am speaking with my husband, Curtis Stewart, who is a renowned Landscape Architect, on the connection with Garden and Fine Art Design and how the two merge. We will also get our hands dirty and paint a small landscape to take home.

This will be full day from breakfast to lunch to cocktails. Come meet new friends, get inspired to plant in the spring and consider the “ART” of the garden you will create!

Welcome to McCampbell Art Studio! Rachael invites you to learn painting techniques and follow her on adventures in painting both in the USA and abroad. Join the fun and follow her artistic life by subscribing now.

There are many things to consider when hiring an artist to paint your vision, but first and foremost, choose an artist because you like the way they paint. It’s probably not the best idea to hire an artist who paints classical portraits for an impressionistic landscape. Some artists can paint in many different styles, but as a general rule, I would advise working with an artist where you can see strong examples of their work and hire them for that.

To protect both the artist and the client, there needs to be a clear contract outlining the expectations on both sides regarding size, medium, substrate, subject matter, colors, and style along with price, date of completion, and who is responsible to frame, transport, and install the art. I always ask for half up front and half upon completion. Now you can get to the fun part of creating!